WOW! I can't believe 2010 is almost over. This year has been so wonderful! I am so blessed and SOO thankful for all that God has done in my life and the lives of those closest to me.
This year has been lifechanging! I will NEVER forget it. Looking back I realized how much I was doing for me and how much I wasn't doing for God. That was until God changed EVERYTHING! Africa 2010 will always be the highlight of my year, and probably my life. Eventhough I know in my heart I will go back, that one trip, the one that I was the least prepared for will be forever closest to my heart. Everything that I am becoming and will eventually be is based off of spending 6 weeks of my life in Niger. God knew it would, but i'm still in awe everytime I think about it!
But now it's time for 2011 to begin, and I am SO stoked! God is going to do some amazing things this year too! I'll be attending a new school in a new town, ya know, entering adulthood! :) can't wait! I also will be praying if and when God would have me go serve Him again in Niger, or anywhere for that matter! I really feel like He will lead me somewhere and I am excited to see when and where that may be. :)
Well, anyways, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
My heart is here.
The Lord gave me a mission over a year ago, and in March I went to fulfill that mission.
I graduated early from HS in '09. I had intended on going to college so I would be done sooner, since I wanted to be an Anesthesiologist at the time and it was going to take about 10 years to graduate!! eeeeh! Well, long story short, I basically dropped almost all my classes that first semester and didn't pursue becoming an Anesthesiologist. God, obviously, had a different plan. That next semester I didn't go back to school, but instead followed Gods call on my life at the time to go serve Him in Niger, Africa. SO happy that I did!
The whole thing was so perfectly planned by Him! It's nearly impossible to explain all the details that went on in preparation for my departure. But, I left this American dream on March 15th 2010, not knowing how different my life would be when I returned.
Upon arrival in Niger I was welcomed by the most loving family I have ever known and spent the next 6 weeks of my life with them. DEFINITELY some of the best weeks of my life!
Okay, so, it's extremely important that I tell you... I had NO idea what I was getting myself into when I went to Africa. Whew! I don't think I could have been prepared even if I had had read a book on "How to be prepared for serving the Lord in Niger." HAHA! I didn't have any clue what it was going to be like and just tried my best to not have any expectations for it because I figured if I did I would be disappointed in some way that it wouldn't be anything I expected it to be.... and that would have been a correct guess! I'm so thankful to God for allowing me to go with an open heart and mind for serving Him, I would have had no chance of doing it without Him!
Well, one of my first struggles (and one that lasted the whole trip) was the language barrier. I didn't know any of their language so I couldn't just talk to them like I wish I could have. Thankfully, though, I was blessed with an incredible translator. Adamou is a Christian guy who had such a genuine heart for the Lord. He has lived in Niger all his life and has a beautiful family! He has a passion for God and has no problem showing it.
My first week there was the most challenging of all. I had jet-lag for a couple of days and was sick and couldn't go out into the villages to do anything. There was a group that flew out the same time I did and they were working with S&K (my host family) for the first 10 days. Once I got well, I joined the group in their adventures out into the bush. We went somewhere everyday and stayed the night out there as well, which was a challenge in itself! It was hot, dry, there were no bathrooms, no showers, no toilets... basically, it was miserable. But all-in-all, I loved every minute of it and wouldn't trade anything for it.
God stretched me in the weirdest of ways and used S&K to get me out of my comfort zone. I look back now and wish I would have done more, but I know that God knew my heart and knew that it would take time. I do feel like there was more I could have accomplished, but I also feel extremely confident that God will send me back to finish my work there. And I can't wait!!! :)
My trip to Africa was challenging, but the best experience of my life! And now I pray for others that if God calls anyone to go serve Him somewhere in the world, that they wouldn't hesitate to go. It may be inconvenitent, seemingly impossible, not the "right time" or whatever, but honestly, guys, it's not about us, and I would hate to see anyone hear the voice of the Lord and refuse to follow His call.
Blessings to all!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Blessings and Skype.
Whew! It's been a month since i've last posted anything here. I have been a little discouraged lately about my "ministry" so I have failed to keep this updated. :( my apologies!
Well, so much has been going on recently. I just moved to start my new "college" life and am so excited about it! I have a great roomie who loves the Lord just as I do! That was a blessing. :) God has made this last week one of the most incredible and eye-opening week of my life! Like I said above, I've been a little discouraged about my ministry... well, God is starting to reveal Himself in that area again. Something I have been praying about since I left Africa in April is that God would deepen my heart for missions. I haven't even told about my journey to Africa yet, but i'll get to that eventually. :) I'm just too excited to share what God has been doing lately! Africa changed my whole life and I have been dying to be there since the very night I left. I miss my "family" from there more than ever, and all the kids who I had the pleasure to love on. I miss it being miserably hot every second of every day... as weird as that sounds. :) haha! I miss not having everything at my fingertips. I miss trying to speak to people who spoke a totally different language from me. And mostly, I miss being able to serve the Lord in Africa.
For the past 8 months I have prayed... begged, that God would send me back, or assure me that I would go back soon. He never did. I wasn't being very patient in His timing, I just wanted to go.
I eventually (like just recently) stopped begging Him to send me back, but began to pray that, if He would have me go, He would simply show me when He felt it was necessary to show me. And, HE DID!
I left home for my new apartment last week and during my absence from home I recieved a letter. This letter was from a very special person. I've never had the pleasure of actually meeting her, or her husband, but we have a unique relationship that I'm, oh, so grateful for. During my stay in Africa we recieved Christmas shoe boxes, yea, in April.. haha! but, anyways, I had to go through the box and explain each thing to the kids because they didn't know how to use most of what was in there. Well, I came across a box that had a letter. (most of them did) but this one stuck out to me, so I wrote down the address. When I got home I wrote to these amazing people and immediately recieved a letter back the very next week :) oh, a happy day! Anyways, we have written back and forth over the months... but this last letter I just recieved a few days ago was like a message God.
This lady, Rosalie, teaches Sunday school for kids where she lives, it's actually Friday school. They all sent me a letter with their names signed on it... the sweetest thing ever. :) Well, inside the kids letter was a letter from Rosalie... it said:
"Dear Kayla,
Hello! We hope you have been well. In my Friday class at Church with grades 1-6 we are having "Missionary of the Month"- to learn about and pray for. In Dec. it's you!"
I was completely speechless. Then God, in His quietness says: "I want you to go."
I was like, are you insane? I can't afford this. I just got an apartment and have to pay bills and pay for school and you want me to go??
Rosalie went on to explain about the kids. :) Then she ended with this: "We were blessed to recieve some extra income this fall from a family member so we would like to share part of our tithe with you for your next mission trip-whenever that may be." My mouth dropped and eyes teared up when I read it and God, again in His quietness said: "this is how... I will provide" I Immediately got this unexplanable peace. I know God has given me this heart for Africa, and I cannot wait to go back. I don't know when my next mission trip will be, but I am open and ready now for anything God has in store.
On another note: I got an unexpected call from my "family" in Africa today :) I have missed them so much and it was wonderful to get to talk to them!!
Well, this post has been long and I'm rather tired so I will leave it at that. :) I hope someone out there reads this.
Merry Christmas!
Love in Christ,
Kayla
Well, so much has been going on recently. I just moved to start my new "college" life and am so excited about it! I have a great roomie who loves the Lord just as I do! That was a blessing. :) God has made this last week one of the most incredible and eye-opening week of my life! Like I said above, I've been a little discouraged about my ministry... well, God is starting to reveal Himself in that area again. Something I have been praying about since I left Africa in April is that God would deepen my heart for missions. I haven't even told about my journey to Africa yet, but i'll get to that eventually. :) I'm just too excited to share what God has been doing lately! Africa changed my whole life and I have been dying to be there since the very night I left. I miss my "family" from there more than ever, and all the kids who I had the pleasure to love on. I miss it being miserably hot every second of every day... as weird as that sounds. :) haha! I miss not having everything at my fingertips. I miss trying to speak to people who spoke a totally different language from me. And mostly, I miss being able to serve the Lord in Africa.
For the past 8 months I have prayed... begged, that God would send me back, or assure me that I would go back soon. He never did. I wasn't being very patient in His timing, I just wanted to go.
I eventually (like just recently) stopped begging Him to send me back, but began to pray that, if He would have me go, He would simply show me when He felt it was necessary to show me. And, HE DID!
I left home for my new apartment last week and during my absence from home I recieved a letter. This letter was from a very special person. I've never had the pleasure of actually meeting her, or her husband, but we have a unique relationship that I'm, oh, so grateful for. During my stay in Africa we recieved Christmas shoe boxes, yea, in April.. haha! but, anyways, I had to go through the box and explain each thing to the kids because they didn't know how to use most of what was in there. Well, I came across a box that had a letter. (most of them did) but this one stuck out to me, so I wrote down the address. When I got home I wrote to these amazing people and immediately recieved a letter back the very next week :) oh, a happy day! Anyways, we have written back and forth over the months... but this last letter I just recieved a few days ago was like a message God.
This lady, Rosalie, teaches Sunday school for kids where she lives, it's actually Friday school. They all sent me a letter with their names signed on it... the sweetest thing ever. :) Well, inside the kids letter was a letter from Rosalie... it said:
"Dear Kayla,
Hello! We hope you have been well. In my Friday class at Church with grades 1-6 we are having "Missionary of the Month"- to learn about and pray for. In Dec. it's you!"
I was completely speechless. Then God, in His quietness says: "I want you to go."
I was like, are you insane? I can't afford this. I just got an apartment and have to pay bills and pay for school and you want me to go??
Rosalie went on to explain about the kids. :) Then she ended with this: "We were blessed to recieve some extra income this fall from a family member so we would like to share part of our tithe with you for your next mission trip-whenever that may be." My mouth dropped and eyes teared up when I read it and God, again in His quietness said: "this is how... I will provide" I Immediately got this unexplanable peace. I know God has given me this heart for Africa, and I cannot wait to go back. I don't know when my next mission trip will be, but I am open and ready now for anything God has in store.
On another note: I got an unexpected call from my "family" in Africa today :) I have missed them so much and it was wonderful to get to talk to them!!
Well, this post has been long and I'm rather tired so I will leave it at that. :) I hope someone out there reads this.
Merry Christmas!
Love in Christ,
Kayla
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